Alterations of cardiac and lymphocyte β- adrenoceptors in rat with chronic heart failure

The alterations of cardiac and lymphocyte β-adrenoceptors were observed in the rats with chronic heart failure produced by constriction of both abdominal aorta and renal artery. The results showed that β₁-adrenoceptor density and mRNA levels were increased, whereas these levels remained unchanged for β₂. The concentrationcontractile response curve for isoproterenol was shifted m the right in cardiac atrium, whereas the concentration-CAMP accumulation response curve for isoproterenol in myocardium was not changed. The number of β-adrenoceptom in blood lymphocyte was markedly reduced. Thus in the heart-failure rats the density of cardiac β-adrenoceptor was increased accompanying reduced β-adrenoceptormediated positive inotropic response, suggesting a post adenylate cyclase dysfunction or impaired contractile components. In contrast, the alteration of β-adrenoceptor in lymphocyte is consistent with the reduced β-adrenoceptor-mediated inotropic response in heart.     

我国珍稀濒危植物保护红线的划定

本文依据《国家生态保护红线——生态功能基线划定技术指南(试行)》原则和植物保护的具体情况, 探讨了我国珍稀濒危植物保护红线划定的原则与方法。研究选取《国家重点保护野生植物名录》中收录的所有物种作为研究对象。将其定义为红线保护植物, 其中的I级保护植物定义为红线关键植物, 并基于文献资料及标本记录等数据建立了我国植物的属性数据库和地理分布数据库。在GIS支持下, 以建立的数据库为基础研究了我国红线保护植物的地理分布特征; 基于保护生物学理论, 结合我国自然保护区的就地保护现状进行了分析和评价; 以热点地区和GAP分析为理论基础, 在其分布地中识别具有代表性的热点区域以及不同属性植物分布的重点区域, 进而结合土地利用和人类干扰因素, 划定我国珍稀濒危植物生境整体保护的红线。通过在全国尺度上的分析, 得出我国珍稀濒危植物的整体保护红线面积为71.63万km², 占陆域国土面积的7.45%。植物生境保护红线划定的原则、方法和划定方案的研究对于更准确地划定生态安全预警红线具有重要意义, 同时可以为我国国土生态安全格局的构建提供依据。     

Secretory leukocyte protease inhibitor plays an important role in the regulation of allergic asthma in mice

Secretory leukocyte protease inhibitor (SLPI) is an anti-inflammatory protein that is observed at high levels in asthma patients. Resiquimod, a TLR7/8 ligand, is protective against acute and chronic asthma, and it increases SLPI expression of macrophages in vitro. However, the protective role played by SLPI and the interactions between the SLPI and resiquimod pathways in the immune response occurring in allergic asthma have not been fully elucidated. To evaluate the role of SLPI in the development of asthma phenotypes and the effect of resiquimod treatment on SLPI, we assessed airway resistance and inflammatory parameters in the lungs of OVA-induced asthmatic SLPI transgenic and knockout mice and in mice treated with resiquimod. Compared with wild-type mice, allergic SLPI transgenic mice showed a decrease in lung resistance (p < 0.001), airway eosinophilia (p < 0.001), goblet cell hyperplasia (p < 0.001), and plasma IgE levels (p < 0.001). Allergic SLPI knockout mice displayed phenotype changes significantly more severe compared with wild-type mice. These phenotypes included lung resistance (p < 0.001), airway eosinophilia (p < 0.001), goblet cell hyperplasia (p < 0.001), cytokine levels in the lungs (p < 0.05), and plasma IgE levels (p < 0.001). Treatment of asthmatic transgenic mice with resiquimod increased the expression of SLPI and decreased inflammation in the lungs; resiquimod treatment was still effective in asthmatic SLPI knockout mice. Taken together, our study showed that the expression of SLPI protects against allergic asthma phenotypes, and treatment by resiquimod is independent of SLPI expression, displayed through the use of transgenic and knockout SLPI mice.     

典型气候条件下东北地区生态系统水源涵养功能特征

东北地区是我国重要的生态功能区,其包含的典型生态系统具有独特的水源涵养功能,在防洪减灾,保障生态安全和人居安全中发挥着关键作用。以往有关水源涵养功能的研究主要是依托不同水文模型方法,从单一年份或多个年份的角度进行研究,较少考虑不同气候条件下水源涵养功能的空间分异特征。采用标准化降水蒸散发指数(Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index,SPEI)划分研究区的典型气候年份(干旱、正常和湿润);基于水量平衡法,结合SCS-CN模型以及Penman-Monteith方程对东北地区典型气候条件下生长季内的水源涵养功能进行研究。结果表明:(1)研究区水源涵养功能在不同气候条件下差异明显,三个典型气候年份生长季内的水源涵养总量分别为:干旱年(SPEI=-1.26)为2214.64亿m~3、正常年(SPEI=-0.22)为3231.49亿m~3和湿润年(SPEI=1.05)为3969.33亿m~3。(2)水源涵养功能空间变异突出,但在三种典型气候条件下呈现出一致变化,均表现为长白山地区水源涵养量最大,大小兴安岭地区次之,水源涵养量最低的地方主要出现在呼伦贝尔以西的草原地区,在东北平原的部分地区也有低值的出现,如白城、通辽、鸡西等地区,水源涵养量较一般的地方出现在东北平原大部分以农田为主的地区。(3)水源涵养功能除受气候因素的影响外,还取决于土地利用类型的变化,对于整个东北地区来讲,水源涵养总量表现为林地农田草地湿地,单位面积水源涵养量在干旱年和正常年表现为林地农田湿地草地,在湿润年份表现为林地湿地农田草地。研究结果揭示了东北地区三种典型气候条件下重要生态系统的水源涵养功能大小、空间分布特征及其主要驱动因素,可为区域生态空间规划和生态系统管理提供科学指导。     

Murine macrophages produce secretory leukocyte protease inhibitor during clearance of apoptotic cells: implications for resolution of the inflammatory response

Macrophage-derived secretory leukocyte protease inhibitor (SLPI) can be induced locally as well as systemically in response to microbial products such as LPS and lipotechoic acid. It is not known whether phagocytosis of apoptotic cells, an essential function of macrophages, can regulate expression and secretion of SLPI. In this study, we report that exposure of peritoneal macrophages of BALB/c mice or murine macrophage cell lines RAW264.7 and J774.1 to apoptotic target cells induced an elevation in SLPI secretion. Secreted SLPI retained its antichymotrypsin activity. SLPI expression in thymuses from BALB/c mice that had been injected with anti-CD3 Ab to induce apoptosis of thymocytes was also elevated both at the mRNA and protein levels. Colchicine, a microtubular inhibitor, blocked the internalization of apoptotic cells by macrophages but not SLPI secretion, suggesting that surface recognition of apoptotic cells is sufficient for the induction of SLPI. Exposure of RAW264.7 cells to apoptotic CTLL-2 cells induced both SLPI and TNF-alpha, and addition of IFN-gamma inhibited SLPI but augmented TNF-alpha production. Transfection of either the secreted or a nonsecreted form of SLPI into RAW264.7 cells led to suppression of TNF-alpha production in response to apoptotic cells. Thus, macrophages secrete an increased amount of SLPI when encountering apoptotic cells, which may help to attenuate potential inflammation during clearance of these cells.     

2001-2019年中国自然保护区生态环境质量时空变化特征及其驱动力

自然保护区对维护生物多样性,改善生态环境质量具有重要作用。然而,我国自然保护区生态环境质量变化及其对自然因素与人类活动的响应规律还不清晰,理解这些规律对我国的生态文明建设以及生物多样性的保护具有重要意义。基于2001—2019年中国历史高分辨率生态环境质量数据CHEQ数据集以及自然因素,利用Theil-Sen Median趋势分析、Mann-Kendall检验以及多元回归残差分析等方法,探究了2001—2019年中国自然保护区的生态环境质量时空变化特征及其对自然因素与人类活动驱动因素的响应。结果表明：(1)我国自然保护区的CHEQ指数呈现多阶段波动变化,总体呈小幅度下降趋势,平均趋势率为-0.54×10^-3/a;在空间上,中国自然保护区CHEQ变化趋势值呈“南高北低,东高西低”的分布格局;(2)自然因素与人类活动的共同作用是我国自然保护区生态环境质量恶化的主要原因,且恶化区域主要分布在自然保护区的实验区和缓冲区。其中自然因素对我国自然保护区生态环境质量变化的影响在-3×10^-3/a—0/a之间,人类活动的影响在-1×10^-3